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Whether it's a few weeks vacation or a six month stint for work, long trips compound all the issues that come with travelling and introduce their own headaches and opportunities. Business or pleasure, a longer stay means more time to get past the tourist traps and chain stores, but also more logistics in terms of where to stay, what to do with your time, and how to put life on hold back home.

We shared The Ultimate Travel Hacking Guide, told you how to protect your home while you're away, and broke down how to save money and make memories with a volunteer vacation. How do you manage long trips? How do you weigh the costs and benefits of taking them in the first place? Need help nailing down the details of an upcoming journey? Ask and answer questions about taking long trips in the comments.